1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self driven chopper-harvester for experimental plots of ground of reduced size, intended more particularly for collecting fodder plants, said harvester comprising an automatic weighing and sampling assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that experimental seed beds to be harvested are generally disposed in successive strips or plots of five to twenty meters in length or more, each corresponding to a variety or to a different experimental treatment, for example using different treating products or products used at different doses.
Each plot is separated from the next by a path of 0.5 meters to 2.5 meters. Border rows, outside the test, should separate the adjacent plots from each other. Only the central part is then to be harvested.
Thus a central row out of three border rows sown at 0.8 meters spacing may be harvested for maize, or a strip of 1.5 meters in width may be harvested on plots of two to 2.5 meters cultivated with herbaceous varieties.
At the present time, harvesting experimental plots of small and average dimensions, namely 5 to 50 meters square and more is often carried out discontinuously in several successive phases: cutting - collecting - weighing - sampling - chopping, requiring a numerous staff and limiting the harvesting speed. Harvesting of experimental plots of small dimension cultivated with fodder maize is carried out at the present time almost exclusively by hand.
Moreover, the standard cultivation equipment does not allow experimental plots of small width to be harvested, that is to say less than 1.8 meters and of reduced size.